Alcatraz Line up: 2018

With Act of Defiance we’re adding a metal super group to this year’s bill. Axeman Chris Broderick and skinsman Shawn Drover quit Megadeth on the same day and went on to form a new band with vocalist Henry Derek and former Shadows Fall guitarist Matt Bachand on bass. Their first outing, ‘Birth and the Burial’ (2015), offers a generous dose of thrash with melodic death metal and some metalcore influences mixed in. In fact, a few of the tracks would fit right in on a Megadeth record. Henry Derek’s (ex-Scar the Martyr) clean singing and growls sound convincing and suit the music perfectly. The trick with supergroups consists in taking the abilities and experience the members bring to the table and forging them into an engaging listen. While ‘Birth and the Burial’ does just that, the band’s sophomore release ‘Old Scars, New Wounds’ ups the ante even further with more lyrical diversity and songwriting contributions by all of the members. As you’d expect from guys with this pedigree, the musicianship is nothing short of remarkable. Definitely one to look forward to!